Calling Wonder Woman for Science: How Female Experts Engender Likability and Trust

Trust 

Public trust in science has been declining for decades, a challenge that may be exacerbated by pop culture and media portrayals of scientists as cold and disconnected. Could a female face give science communication the warmth it needs to succeed?

Olivia Bullock, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Advertising assistant professor, and Austin Hubner of the University of Louisville (Hubner will be joining UFCJC in fall 2025), wanted  to explore this question. Although women who defy gender norms can trigger a backlash that hurts their likability, recent research has found that female scientists often seem friendlier. This has been dubbed the “women are wonderful” effect in which accomplished women inspire their audience by “doing it all.”

However, women in the public eye face an interesting paradox: They are often seen as more likeable, but does that likeability translate into perceptions of competence? Female experts may be seen as more approachable, but not as authoritative as their male counterparts. Understanding how the public views female scientists’ competence is important because people tend to be more likely to listen to those they deem competent. This effect of source credibility on one’s persuasive power can be seen in political, leadership, and scientific fields.

If people like female scientists more, how does this impact perceptions of the experts’ competence and people’s overall trust in the science that the expert represents?

To test this question, Hubner and Bullock created a series of mock Instagram posts showing a fictional scientist. The caption described their role and expertise. The study’s participants viewed either the male or female version of each post, then ranked their likability and competence. Finally, they rated their agreement with statements about the trustworthiness of science and scientists.

The posts with women scientists earned higher ratings in warmth and friendliness. Moreover, those deemed more likable were seen as more competent. After reading the captions from female experts, participants were more likely to say they trusted in science related to the message they’d just read.

Hubner and Bullock and also hypothesized that participants would prefer scientists who matched their gender, but the opposite effect was found; male participants preferred female scientists, and vice versa. But, overall, participants preferred female experts.

This study offers intriguing guidance for science organizations hoping to increase public trust in their communications: put a female face to it. Women scientists are often seen as more approachable, which enhances their credibility and makes their message more likely to be heard. In other words, female experts can come off as “Wonder Woman,” better able to wield their “lasso of truth” to help increase public trust in science.

The original article, “Why Science Should Have a Female Face: Female Experts Increase Liking, Competence, and Trust in Science,” was published online on Nov. 12, 2024.

 Authors: Austin Hubner, Olivia Bullock

 This summary was written by Rachel Wayne.

Posted: February 3, 2025
Insights Categories: Trust
Tagged as: Austin Hubner, Olivia Bullock, Science Information, Trust